Caterer & Hotelkeeper articles from December 2005

Caterer & Hotelkeeper archives from December 2005

Now for something the same as usual.(extended licensing hours)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... There's a Monty Python sketch in which Ralph Mellish, a filing clerk at a Peterborough insurance company, is walking to work as usual, when... "da dum - nothing happened!" "Scarcely able to believe his eyes, Ralph Mellish looked down," the...

Is your future franchising?
December 1, 2005... For most people who own a franchise, it's more about lots of hard graft than getting rich quick. But that doesn't mean you can't make a success of the business and earn some serious cash. Emma Allen looks at the world of franchising Six...

Howard's way.
December 1, 2005... Hilton's new area president for the UK and Ireland will be taking the company further into hotel management and away from property ownership. Howard Friedman shared his plans with Andrew Sangster It's a torrid time to be put in charge of...

Accor to open London hotel in Trocadero Centre.
December 1, 2005... Accor has beaten off stiff competition to open a new flagship Ibis hotel in London's Trocadero Centre. The 600-bedroom hotel, which is subject to planning permission, will be built in conjunction with Golfrate Holdings, the Isle of Man-based...

HIPPING HALL.
December 1, 2005... Jason Birkbeck, a product of Nigel Haworth's Northcote Manor, has brought his no-nonsense style to Hipping Hall, between the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales. Dan Bignold reports Hipping Hall might have a silly name but it also has a...

The fifth element.
December 1, 2005... It sounds like something comedian Vic Reeves might shout out on TV, but umami is in fact the fifth flavour that can be identified by human taste-buds. Fiona Sims investigates I only recently discovered that all my favourite foods - and...

TRIFLE REVIVAL.(Book Review)
December 1, 2005... Trifle, a relic of the 1970s sweet trolley, when it was often full of cheap and nasty ingredients, is being restored to its rightful place in traditional British cooking by Dominic Chapman at the Hinds Head in Bray, as Michael Raffael discovers...

Starwood adds 130 hotels with Le Meridien purchase.
December 1, 2005... Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has acquired the Le Meridien brand after more than a year of negotiations. The management and franchise business for Le Meridien's 130 hotels and resorts was sold for $225m ([pounds sterling]130m). The deal...

Inland Revenue tax probe heads north; Focus will be on pubs and bars after new licensing laws.
December 1, 2005... BY EMILY MANSON Chefs and pub owners in Scotland and the North of England are to be the target of a new Inland Revenue crackdown, according to two leading tax consultants. Operation Gourmet, the name given to an Inland Revenue purge on tax...

In celebration of simplicity.
December 1, 2005... Why does unpretentious food never achieve top marks in the guidebooks? wonders food writer Simon Wright I was in Sicily for a week recently. Not a culinary tour, just a break with some random eating out. Pesce spade, pasta con sarde,...

Prison caterer wins BBC title.
December 1, 2005... A prison chef in Surrey has been named the UK's Best Dinner Man in the BBC Radio 4 Food and Farming Awards 2005. Catering manager Al Crisci was credited with transforming the food served up at HM Prison High Down in Sutton, where prisoners...

Widley named Acorn Scholar.(Kelly Widley of Berry Head hotel gets award from Acorn Club)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Kelly Widley, front-of-house manager at the Berry Head hotel in Brixham, Devon, is the 2006 Acorn Scholar. Widley, 23, impressed the judges with her enthusiasm and efforts to improve training in the workplace. "I intend to make every...

Sea Containers pulls out of Orient-Express; Hotel group will continue with its expansion plans.
December 1, 2005... BY ANGELA FREWIN Sea Containers last week offloaded its remaining 25% stake in Orient-Express Hotels. The heavily oversubscribed sale raised $300m ([pounds sterling]175m) by offloading 9.9 million shares at $32 ([pounds sterling]18.65) each. It...

New guide rates top country hotels.
December 1, 2005... Twenty English properties reviewed by unnamed author By Emily Manson A new, no-holds-barred guidebook to country house hotels will be available on the internet this week. The new guide, Mr Particular - Telling the Truth about English...

MPs rally for a ban as Government ignores smoking consultation.
December 1, 2005... Labour backbenchers and hospitality representatives want Health Bill to include total ban on workplace smoking By Chris Druce A total smoking ban in public places moved a step closer this week as industry bosses and Labour MPs joined forces...

Hospitality faces up to the terrorist bombers.
December 1, 2005... The hospitality industry has become a prime target for terrorist acts around the world. Andrew Sangster reports on a worrying trend Hotels, restaurants and bars around the globe have increasingly become not scenes of enjoyment and...

Late licences have not fuelled disorder.
December 1, 2005... Police and operators report business as usual in town centres By Angela Frewin Fears that binge-drinking and drunken disorder would spiral further out of control following the introduction of the new licensing regime last Thursday (24...

Fast-food salads are no better than burgers.
December 1, 2005... Salads served at fast-food joints are no healthier than the burgers, according to consumer watchdog Which? The Consumer Association's investigation revealed that salads from some fast-food chains contained as much - and in some cases more -...

CHG restaurants see first profits.
December 1, 2005... Clapham House Group (CHG) last week announced maiden profits for its collection of three restaurant chains. The owner of the Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Bombay Bicycle Club and The Real Greek chains revealed pre-tax profits of [pounds...

win a wallace & gromit mug.(Caterer teamed with PG Tips )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Caterer has teamed up with PG Tips tea to offer readers the chance to own a limited-edition Wallace and Gromit mug. The mugs celebrate Wallace and Gromit's latest film, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit - which took more than [pounds...

Paramount buys Caffe Uno chain from TRG.(The Restaurant Group)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Restaurant group Paramount last week added the Caffe Uno brand to its stable after buying the chain from The Restaurant Group (TRG) in a [pounds sterling]33m deal. The owner of the Livebait, Chez Gerard and Bertorelli brands bought 53 of...

Travelodge ; to sell rooms for just [pounds sterling]10.(Travelodge)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Budget hotel chain Travelodge has slashed its room rates to as little as [pounds sterling]10 for the next year. Launching an all-out attack on competitor Premier Travel Inn, the chain announced [pounds sterling]20m of price cuts, which will see...

Barber takes over Villandry.(Jamie Barber)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... London foodstore, bar and restaurant Villandry has been taken over by Hush boss Jamie Barber. The Great Portland Street institution was acquired by Barber towards the end of last month for an undisclosed sum from US-born entrepreneur Martha...

London'S ; skaters need ; winter fuel.(Somerset House )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Ice-skating at Somerset House opened with a flurry of seasonal excitement last weekend as visitors rushed to be the first on the ice. Hungry skaters, no doubt in need of warmth as well as fortification, have also been keen on Tate Catering's...

Tom Illic named as executive chef at Apex City.
December 1, 2005... Chef Tom Illic has reappeared on London's culinary map as executive chef at Apex City, the latest hotel to open in the Square Mile. Illic will head up the hotel's fine-dining restaurant, Addendum, and its brasserie, both of which will serve...

Ignite to open two more London venues.( )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Ignite, the owner of Eclipse bars and trendy London nightspots Boujis in South Kensington and Cocoon on Regent Street, is to open two new venues in 2006. The group plans to open a 120-seat Eclipse Bar in West Hampstead - on the site of the...

Compass adds weight to management team.(appointments)
December 1, 2005... By Angela Frewin Troubled contract caterer Compass has taken steps to shore up its senior management team at the end of a year which has seen three profit warnings, a UN investigation, boardroom changes and the dismissal of its UK boss. The...

Excellence in Food and Drink Awards.
December 1, 2005... The huge variety of global cuisines available to diners in the UK was in evidence at this year's Caterer Group Excellence in Food and Drink Awards, run in association with 3663 First for Foodservice, writes Matthew Batham. Products invoking...

A minute; on the clock; Mark Woollard.(Interview)
December 1, 2005... Ex-chef and funeral director Mark Woollard has been a London volunteer at homeless charity Crisis at Christmas for the past nine years. Each year the charity serves 16,000 meals to people living on the streets over the Christmas period. Here,...

Book Review.(Lobster and Chips )(Book Review)
December 1, 2005... Fish and potato classics Lobster & Chips Trish Hilferty Absolute Press, [pounds sterling]17.99 ISBN 1-904573-28-2 If you want to understand what gets customers through the doors of a pub to eat, then take a look at this book. It's...

Caterer hates.
December 1, 2005... Beaujolais Nouveau Many years ago one of the highlights of the wine calendar was the annual dash for the first batch of Beaujolais Nouveau on the third Thursday in November. No longer. We don't often like to be the bringer of bad news, but...

Drug and alcohol testing.
December 1, 2005... Catherine Grady, from law firm Dickinson Dees, explains the legal constraints on testing employees for drug or alcohol use, and outlines the correct procedure The Problem A member of the waiting staff is consistently late and appears...

Going places.
December 1, 2005... Martin Holze has been made regional director Park Inn, UK, with immediate effect. The newly created role will see Holze oversee 11 hotels following owner Rezidor SAS Hospitality's recent agreement to operate nine former Moat House hotels under...

How I got here.
December 1, 2005... Mark Seastron Commercial development director, Sodexho Defence Services Mark Seastron, 35, is commercial development director at Sodexho Defence Services, where he oversees both the operation of catering, retail and leisure services...

How the West won us.(Mason's Arms)
December 1, 2005... In our December visit to the Mason's Arms, Sarah and Mark Dodson talk to Joanna Wood about how they tackled relocating their young family at the same time as launching their restaurant in Devon One of the major reasons for Sarah and Mark...

Just Opened.
December 1, 2005... Annex 3, London It was inevitable that the latest offering from the Loungelover/Les Trois Garons trio would open in a blaze of kitsch surroundings and lavish cocktails. Annex 3 is no disappointment. Messrs Lasserre, Abdullah and Karlson's...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... We must recycle this wastepaper I'm currently working for a national hotel company as part of a support team dealing with front of house. I travel to a lot of hotels, which allows me to observe a lot of different working methods. Several of our...

Next move for a chef seeking online tuition.
December 1, 2005... Each week our panel of recruitment experts provide answers to an employment question posed by a reader The Question I'm an executive sous chef based in Bahrain - and I have too much free time! I'd like to know if there are any online courses...

Over to you.(Travel, Leisure )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Do guidebooks champion simple food? Craig Bancroft, joint MD, Northcote Manor, Lancashire "Some concentrate on too high a style of dining, and often that's not necessarily what you want. Some champion quality delivery at any point in the...

Review of Reviews.(restaurants)
December 1, 2005... Evening Standard, London 23 November Fay Maschler is impressed with how Richard Corrigan has rejuvenated Bentley's Oyster Bar and Grill, London In the oyster bar we tried simple dishes where the integrity of the ingredients said it all. Smoked...

Say cheese.(Real thing Traditional )
December 1, 2005... A good cheeseboard says a lot about a restaurant's attitude to ingredients and creates opportunities for upselling. Diane Lane discovers some new contenders 1. The Real thing Traditional cheesemaker Butlers, of Beacon Fell, Lancashire, has...

Table Talk.(Cyrus Todiwala's London restaurant )
December 1, 2005... With a nice Chianti? Chef John Benson-Smith was quizzed by delegates at the CESA conference on his efforts to raise the standards of food served in British hospitals. To give an example of how bad he had found healthcare catering to be when he...

Urban Dining set to sell ; off Tootsies.(Tootsies restaurant)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Urban Dining looks set to put its Tootsies restaurant chain up for sale in the New Year after its chief executive, John Metcalf, quit in a boardroom shake-up. Despite opening six new Tootsies in September and October, the company announced last...

good week/bad week.(KP Nuts )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... White chocolate lovers Enter the limited-edition white chocolate digestive. Bananas The breakfast choice of millions of health-conscious Britons, according to The Grocer. Red wine Could hold the secret to repairing joint damage caused by...

how ; to.(interview )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Be great at an interview * Always research the company beforehand. * Be smart, dress appropriately and look "crisp". * Be on time and smile when you arrive. * Shake hands confidently (make sure your hands are dry). * Maintain eye contact. *...

infozone Foodfile... Ingredients in season.(cooking methods)
December 1, 2005... Fresh Produce Italian leafy greens like cicoria, Puntarella and cime di rapa are all plentiful again. Tardivo (or wild trevise) has started again, but the prices are very high. Curly kale can run short during periods of sustained frost, as...

infozone Strategy clinic.(start making good profits)
December 1, 2005... The question I find myself in a dilemma: I don't want to sell my hotel business, but it just isn't going anywhere financially. How do I turn my economic future around and start making good profits? The solutions Carl May,...

mckever opens [pounds sterling]5m serviced apartments scheme.(McKever Hotels )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Scotland's fast-growing hotel group McKever Hotels has moved into the fully serviced apartment market with a [pounds sterling]5m project in Glasgow city centre. The family-run group, which has doubled its number of three-star hotels this year...

the week ; in brief.(tourist haunts)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Tourists flock to South Bank Overseas visitors to London prefer a stroll along the South Bank to visiting Leicester Square or China Town, according to a new survey by tourism body Visit London. Its survey of 2,229 foreign visitors to the...

the week ; in brief.(pub trading)(Sheraton Park Lane)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Artful Dodger caught Cambridgeshire pub the Artful Dodger has been fined a total of [pounds sterling]1,750 after trading standards officers found bottles of Smirnoff vodka and Gordon's gin contained cheap alternatives. Barry Alexander, landlord...

Somewhere beyond the sea.
December 22, 2005... Stuck out in the Atlantic, 30 miles from Land's End, the Island Hotel and the Hell Bay hotel wouldn't normally stay open during winter. This Christmas things are changing, however. Benjamin Walker reports from the Scilly Isles Wandering...

We mustn't let John's story happen again.(drug abusers should be taken care)
December 22, 2005... This week's Caterer offers a salutary reminder that, for many people, Christmas is not about presents, family gatherings and overindulgence, but about struggling to survive in the face of adversity. Two years ago this week, cocaine and...

The Harrow.(Restaurant Review)
December 22, 2005... The wine list at the Harrow at Little Bedwyn keeps on winning awards - the latest being the AA Wine Award for the UK in its 2006 Restaurant Guide. Fiona Sims investigates its secret The location of the Harrow at Little Bedwyn makes the...

picking up the pieces.(John's will power helpd him to return back to normal life)
December 22, 2005... John, a successful chef who had descended into cocaine and crack addiction, managed to claw his way back from the brink of self-destruction. But he was to discover that giving up drugs was the relatively easy part of his battle to get his life...

Gay weddings for straight profits.
December 22, 2005... The newly enacted legislation allowing civil registration of gay and lesbian marriages presents enlightened hospitality businesses with a host of lucrative new opportunities, as Kirstie Redford reports Elton John and David Furnish...

New breed of boss at the helm of hotel companies.
December 22, 2005... It's been an eventful year in the hotel sector. Andy Williamson looks back over a period that's seen new faces at the head of multinational hotel companies and the gathering pace of hotel companies selling off their property assets What...

New laws put pressure on pubs and bars sector.
December 22, 2005... Pub operators have had to cope this year with the chaotic overhaul of the licensing laws and a proposed ban on smoking - and the Government wants them to pay for policing disorderly drinkers. Martyn Cornell reports It was a year when pubs...

Academy chiefs pass the baton.
December 22, 2005... The Academy of Food & Wine Service said farewell to two of its longest-serving bigwigs last week. Both its chief executive James Brown (right) and chairman Richard Edwards (centre) waved goodbye to the organisation after eight years at the...

The White Lion in winter.(Rob Gamble's pub-restaurants )
December 22, 2005... Apart from a couple of nasty kitchen accidents, things are picking up for Rob Gamble's pub-restaurants as they head into a busy Christmas season. Benjamin Walker reports At the start of December Rob Gamble was living it large at the...

Safety without wires.(hotels to apply wireless networks )
December 22, 2005... Wireless networks have obvious advantages over the wired variety, but they do present some challenges for businesses with data to protect. Ross Bentley reports There are plenty of benefits from installing a wireless network (wi-fi) in...

the week in brief.(Caviar to become luxury)(Geraldine McKenna leaves Maybourne Hotel Group)(Turnberry Resort to sponsor for golf's open championship )(Brief Article)
December 22, 2005... Illegal caviar trade thriving Caviar is set to become a luxury of the past, owing to the thriving trade in illegal sales, charity WWF warned last week. European authorities seized some 12,000kg of illegal caviar between 2000 and 2005, but...

Strike, schools and scandal keep catering in the news.
December 22, 2005... The world of food service has been shaken up this year by a TV chef's campaign to improve school dinners, troubles at the world's biggest contract caterer, and a strike that brought BA to a standstill. Paul Gander investigates What a...

Terry Holmes retires after 36 years at the Stafford hotel.
December 22, 2005... By Emily Manson Veteran hotelier Terry Holmes is retiring at the end of the year, bringing to an end an amazing career in senior hotel management that spanned nearly four decades and several accolades. Holmes, who has been at London's...

MPs step up pressure for total ban on smoking.
December 22, 2005... An influential committee of MPs has slammed the Government's smoking plans as "unfair, unjust, inefficient and unworkable" and called for a total ban. On Monday, the Health Select Committee said a partial ban linked to food would...

Eating-out culture grows as groups consolidate.
December 22, 2005... 2005 was a massive year for the restaurant trade and it doesn't look like slowing up any time soon. Ross Bentley looks at the year that was This year the British public's growing appetite for wining and dining has been matched only by the...

PKF links to Bench for better data.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2005... Alliance will provide improved hotel performance figures and analysis By Angela Frewin Hotel consultancy PKF has formed an alliance with online hotel benchmarking provider The Bench to improve its coverage of hotel performance and...

Bogus directory site scams Pulze's Al Duca.(NovaChannel)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2005... A restaurant scam that cons businesses into believing it is part of a "free" tourist directory has struck again. Claudio Pulze's Al Duca restaurant in London is the latest victim of the hoax, which asks restaurants to join a "free" tourist...

Punch sells 205 pubs to Petchey Group.(Punch Taverns)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2005... Punch Taverns has sold 205 leased and tenanted pubs to leisure company Petchey Group for [pounds sterling]98m. The sale is part of Punch's push to streamline its estate following the acquisition of Spirit Group for [pounds sterling]2.7b...

Mussel farmers step up output to meet demand.
December 22, 2005... Scottish mussel group Isle of Shuna is raising [pounds sterling]1.7m to meet growing demand for mussels in the UK. The mussel farming company, which sells through the Demlane and Isle of Shuna brands, plans to increase sales to 1,800 tonnes...

Six line up to bid for Compass's SSP division.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2005... Bidders in the race to buy Compass Group travel concession business SSP have been cut to a shortlist of six. Italian roadside operator Autogrill and French caterer Elior are believed to be the only two trade buyers still in the frame....

HHC to finalise Hilton Group deal this year.
December 22, 2005... Industry expects [pounds sterling]3.6b takeover to go ahead this month By Jessica Gunn Hilton Hotel Corporation's (HHC) [pounds sterling]3.6b takeover bid for Hilton Group's hotel division is expected to complete by the end of this...

A few festive reasons to be cheerful...
December 22, 2005... Some things are looking up in the world of hospitality, says chef and writer Bill Knott At a time of year when most restaurant chefs, embittered by providing cannon fodder for the seasonal round of appalling office parties, are fantasising...

A minute on the clock GINO MERIANO.
December 22, 2005... Gino Meriano runs a gay wedding company, Pink Weddings. He also got hitched to his long-term partner Mike Ullett on 21 December, the day civil partnerships became legal. He talked to Emily Manson before his big day Caterer What does it...

Book Review.(Thirsty Work)(Book Review)
December 22, 2005... Not your average sommelier Thirsty Work Matt Skinner Mitchell Beazley, [pounds sterling]17 ISBN 1 845 330 82K I have to confess, I know Matt Skinner. He's been a regular at Caterer's tastings and I regularly bump into him at industry...

Caterer loves.
December 22, 2005... Christmas Christmas might be your busiest time of year, but that's no excuse for not getting out there and enjoying the seasonal festivities. There's mulled wine to quaff and mince pies to munch, after all. After a manic month at work,...

Going places.
December 22, 2005... Hand Picked Hotels has recruited Nicola Holland as e-commerce marketing manager. She has moved to the group from budget hotel chain Travelodge, where she was interactive marketing manager. Eric Handtschoewercker is the new general manager...

How I got here.
December 22, 2005... Tina Frimpong Revenue manager, Apex City of London hotel Tina Frimpong, 27, is the revenue manager overseeing the reception team at the newly opened Apex City of London hotel. She has been with the team at the new opening since June,...

Just Opened.(George)(EntrecOte Cafe de Paris)(Owner Merchant Inns)(Restaurant Review)
December 22, 2005... George, Esher Located in a listed building, George promises a stylish dining experience in the suburbs. Clever cocktails are served from behind the Nick Strangeway-designed 40ft bar. Try the pomegranate cosmopolitans and rhubarb and honey...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
December 22, 2005... Game birds are being shot unnecessarily The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) and the Countryside Alliance (CA) are busy trying to convince the public - and particularly food writers - that game is a healthy and...

Next move to work more social hours.(Brief Article)
December 22, 2005... Each week our panel of recruitment experts provide answers to an employment question posed by a Caterer reader the question I work as a duty manager in a five-star property in Edinburgh. Due to family commitments, I want to work more...

Operation Gourmet is back.
December 22, 2005... Like the Ghost of Christmas Past, the taxman comes back to haunt the catering industry. A reawakened investigation can only spell trouble, says Manoj Anand The problem Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reinvigorating...

Over to you.(cheerful 2005)(Brief Article)
December 22, 2005... What made you cheerful in 2005? Giorgio Locatelli, owner and executive chef, Locanda Locatelli "The plentiful truffle season made me very cheerful this year. I was also happy to see my restaurant become more family-friendly after we opened...

Table Talk.(St Ervan Manor)(tiger prawns)
December 22, 2005... DON'T COME THE RAW (TIGER) PRAWN with us Our eagle-eyed friend David Young, owner of the Cross at Kingussie, Inverness-shire, spotted some fishy lines in the Scotsman last week. One of its restaurant reviewers, writing about a visit to the...

The spirit moves you.
December 22, 2005... New drinks from across the world will tempt your customers in the New Year. Diane Lane goes globetrotting 1. The spiciness is right Independent family-owned distiller William Grant & Sons has introduced Reyka Vodka, produced at...